Stabilized aggregates and other materials and structures for purposes including, but not limited to, energy absorption

ABSTRACT

Described are materials and structures for absorbing energy. The materials and structures are well suited for arresting aircraft and other vehicles, although their purposes need not be so limited. Also detailed are packaging and other solutions for maintaining system integrity, especially (but not exclusively) when foam glass or other aggregate is employed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to aggregates, materials, and other structuresand more particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, to vehiclearresting systems in which aggregates, materials, or other structuresare used to absorb energy to effect vehicle arrests.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,502 to Allen, et al. (the “AllenPatent”), discloses use of compressible material such as ceramic orphenolic foam or cellular concrete to assist in arresting vehicles. Thecompressible material may, if desired, be formed into blocks or beds ofparticular compressive gradient strength. Fabric, film, or otherwrappings may surround at least portions of the blocks, with “[a] basicfunction of [the wrappings being] to aid in maintaining structuralintegrity” of blocks “during non-emergency conditions, while beingsubject to tearing, breakage or other partial or complete disintegrationduring an arresting incident.” See Allen Patent, col. 4, 11. 43-48.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0057931 of Narmo (the“Narmo Application”) similarly discloses use of foamed glass aggregatefor vehicle arrestments. Systems of the Narmo application include bedsfilled with foam glass aggregate as well as “top cover[s].” As definedin the Narmo Application, a “top cover” comprises “any cover . . . whichwill prevent the aggregate mass [from being] contaminated or filled withair-borne particulates, subject to plant growth, or [subject to] otherenvironmental impacts which [interfere] with the performance of thefoamed glass aggregate mass.” See Narmo Application, p. 2, col. 2, ¶0028.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Unclear is whether any “top cover” of the Narmo application will besatisfactory to maintain structural integrity of its correspondingaggregate bed. The present invention thus provides partial or complete“packaging” and other solutions for maintaining bed integrity,especially (but not exclusively) when glass or other aggregate isemployed. As a non-limiting example, moldable bags may containaggregated particles, with the bags being capable of being assembledinto a bed. Alternatively, particles may be embedded in an adhesive orother binder, encased by a box, or anchored to a roof, ceiling, or otherstructure.

At least one version of the invention may include geotextile covers andgenerally vertically-extending anchors. In this embodiment, particles offoam glass or other material may form a bed covered in whole or part bya geotextile cover in the form of mesh or a net, for example. Verticalrods or other structures may serve as anchors, connecting the cover tothe foundation of the bed or elsewhere as appropriate. Such anchors maybe made of breakable or deformable material so as not unduly to impedevehicle arrestments.

In other versions of the invention, at least some of the particles maybe placed within boxes or bags (whether moldable or not). If the bagsare adhered or attached to covers and foundations of beds, the bagsthemselves may help anchor the covers in lieu of, or in addition to,rods or other structures. Preferred bags may be formed of open-net,frangible material, although other types of materials may be employedinstead.

Whether or not bagged, aggregate may be placed within cubicles or otherstructures having floors and, if desired, upstanding walls. In at leastsome embodiments of the inventions, upper edges of walls may be foldedto create flanges to facilitate attachment to covers. Such a structurereoriented one-hundred eighty degrees (i.e. positioned upside-down) mayhave its flanges attach to foundations. In some cases aggregate may beadhered to the floors of the cubicles or other structures.

Alternatively or additionally, loose aggregate may be mixed withadhesives or binders to form bricks or other integrated units. Suchadhesives preferably are non-cementicious, with presently-preferredbinders including chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC), asphalt,or polymeric mixes (e.g. epoxy) with filler components such as fly ash,slag, ground glass, etc. Sizes and shapes of the units may change asneeded for satisfactory installation; the units may be stacked as partof a bed with or without gaps between them, and adjacent units may, butneed not necessarily, be adhered or attached to each other. Theylikewise optionally may be placed within cubicles or other structuresand adhered to their floors.

Moreover, any such mixing of loose aggregate and binders may occur insitu if appropriate. This sort of “cast in place” technique couldexpedite bed formation, with the mixing occurring on site and the miximmediately being poured (as, e.g., slurry) into beds. Thereafter, itmay set or cure in the beds. Casting may occur in one or more layers,with or without fabric or other dividers between layers.

Alternate deformable materials may include other types of open-cell orclosed-cell ceramics in lieu of foam glass. If needed, structuresincluding open-cell ceramics may, for example, be coated or otherwisecovered with water-impermeable (or water-resistant) material. One suchcoating itself may be non-porous ceramic; alternatively, other coatingsor coverings may be employed. Yet another deformable material may be orinclude aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC), phosphate-bonded cellularcomposite, alkali-activated cellular fly ash, or cellular polymers.

Solar- or other-powered heating systems including heating elements,channels, conduits, or vents may be included in or adjacent to beds incertain cold climates. For airports lacking jet service (so beds willnot be subject to jet blast), loose or bagged aggregate or othermaterial may be used either without any covering or with low-strengthnetting or coatings. Alternatively, the aggregate or other material maybe covered by asphalt—in essence as a continuation of the runway, albeitwith the asphalt being of sufficiently low strength to assist ineffecting vehicle arrestment as needed. Beds may be self-draining orinclude drain piping or tunnels and may include expansion joints ifneeded.

It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention toprovide energy-absorbing materials and structures.

It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention toprovide materials and structures for effecting vehicle arrests.

It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention toprovide “packaging” and other solutions for maintaining bed integritywhen aggregate is employed as energy-absorbing material.

It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present inventionto provide techniques for casting energy-absorbing materials in place.

It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the presentinvention to provide supports, cubicles, or other structures forenergy-absorbing materials.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to theremaining text and the drawings of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematicized representation of an exemplary bed of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematicized representation of an exemplary bed of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a mock-up of exemplary components of a bed of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of exemplary components of a bed similarto those of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of bed components of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a mock-up of exemplary components of a bed of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of bed components similar to those ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a schematicized representation of exemplary components of abed of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary loose material adhered with or to a binderor support to form a unit.

FIG. 6A provides another depiction similar to FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary loose material adhered with a binder andpositioned within a cubicle.

FIG. 7A provides another depiction similar to FIG. 7.

FIGS. 8A-B are schematicized representations of a unit including (only)an upper covering or coating (FIG. 8A) or both upper and side coveringsor coatings (FIG. 8B).

FIG. 9 is a schematicized representation of a third exemplary bed of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 10A-B are schematicized top (FIG. 10A) and plan (FIG. 10B) viewsof an exemplary bed of the present invention.

FIGS. 11A-B and 12-13 are schematicized views of exemplary techniquesfor casting materials in place.

FIGS. 14A-C are schematicized views of exemplary components of a bed ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates, in schematic form, an exemplary bed 10 of thepresent invention. Bed 10, and any other bed mentioned herein, mayextend above-grade, below-grade, or both above- and below-grade asdesired. Shown in FIG. 1 is grade or surface S, with at least part ofbed 10 extending above the surface S. If bed 10 is designed (at leastprincipally) for effecting arrests of fixed-wing aircraft, surface Sadvantageously may be a runway or taxiway.

Bed 10 may contain at least deformable material 14, roof or cover 18,and anchors 22. Material 14 may be or comprise aggregate in the form offoam glass particles as per the Narmo application. Alternatively oradditionally, material 14 may be or comprise other permanently ortemporarily deformable material. Material 14 beneficially does notsustain fire, consistent with guidelines of the U.S. Federal AviationAdministration.

Absent cover 18, at least some material 14 forming bed 10 may be exposedto jet blast, wind, or other conditions that may cause scattering of thematerial 14. Accordingly, cover 18 may serve to confine material 14existing at or above grade. Cover 18 beneficially is deformable whensubjected to weight of a to-be-arrested vehicle; apresently-preferred—but not exclusive—form of cover 18 may be ageotextile such as a plastic net whose mesh is smaller than the majorityof any loose particles forming material 14.

One or more anchors 22 may serve to secure cover 18 in position relativeto material 14. Anchors 22 may attach or adhere to cover 18 and extendgenerally vertically through bed 10 to the ground or other foundationsupporting bed 10, mooring the cover 18 to the foundation. As depictedin FIGS. 14A-C, possible anchors 22 may comprise lengths of plastic pipe26 and optional quick-release or breakaway connectors 30 and discs 34.Pipe 26 preferably deforms when subjected to weight of a to-be-arrestedvehicle so as not to impede an arrest, while discs 34, if present, mayhelp stabilize anchors 22 from moving inside the aggregate due tovibrations or other forces.

Illustrated in FIG. 2 is an alternate bed 100 of the present invention.Like bed 10, bed 100 may include material 14 and cover 18. It likewisemay include anchors 22 if desired. Unlike bed 10, however, bed 100 mayinclude bags 38, boxes, or other containers of material 14 rather than,or in addition to, loose aggregate. Containing material 14 in thismanner should reduce sliding or other undesired movement of the material14. Moreover, if bags 38 extend from the foundation of bed 100 to cover18, as shown in FIG. 2, they may be adhered or attached to thefoundation and cover 18 as additional or alternative anchors. AlthoughFIG. 2 illustrates each bag 38 as extending the height of bed 100,multiple shorter bags 38 may be connected together to extend over thatheight instead.

FIG. 3 details a mock-up of an exemplary support structure 42 formaterial 14. Structure may include base 46 and upstanding walls 50, thelatter of which intersect to form cubicles 54. Loose aggregate ofmaterial 14 may be placed within the cubicles 54 to reduce furtheropportunity for the material 14 to move undesirably within a bed.Additionally, walls 50 may include flanges 58 to facilitate attachmentto cover 18. FIG. 4 illustrates a similar structure 42′ in whichmaterial 14 is contained both within a bag 38 and a cubicle 54, thecombination of which yet further reducing undesired movement of thematerial 14 within a bed.

Material 14 may comprise a mixture of, for example, aggregate and bindersolidified to form an integrated brick, block, or unit 62.Alternatively, material 14 may be glued or otherwise adhered to basematerial 66 to form an integrated unit 62′ (see FIG. 6). In eithercircumstance, units 62 (or 62′) may be stacked as part of a bed, withoutor without gaps between individual units 62 (or 62′). FIG. 5 shows units62 stacked with gaps. Although two rows of units 62 are illustrated,more or fewer may be included in a bed. Similarly, although multipleunits 62 of uniform size and shape are depicted in FIG. 5, size or shape(or both) of an individual unit 62 may differ from that or those ofadjacent or nearby units 62. Units 62 also may be adhered or attached toone another at points of contact, although such adhering or attaching isnot mandatory.

In one version of unit 62′ of FIG. 6, material 14 preferably is foamglass, while base material 66 preferably is asphalt. Of course, personsskilled in the art will recognize that other materials may be usedinstead. Because even units 62 and 62′ may be further confined tomaintain bed integrity, FIG. 7 shows exemplary units 62 within cubicles54 of support structure 42′.

Units 62 or 62′ may be coated on any or all of top, side, or bottomsurfaces to improve various characteristics (see FIGS. 8A-B). Inparticular, waterproofing coatings may be beneficially added to units 62or 62′. Such coatings could be ceramics, plastics, or otherwise asappropriate. Alternatively, wafers of such materials may be adhered orattached to the units. Indeed, foam glass itself (albeit preferably ofhigher density) could be used as a ceramic coating or wafer.

FIG. 9 depicts yet another bed 200 lacking any cover 18. Rather, bed 200may be formed by spreading asphalt across surface S and adheringmaterial 14 or containers thereof such as bags 38 to the asphalt.Although cover 18 is not required in connection with bed 200, itnonetheless may be present if desired.

FIGS. 10A-B schematically depict bed 300. In addition to material 14,bed 300 may include elements or components for its heating. Theseelements or components may be especially beneficial when bed 300 isinstalled in cold climes, as extreme temperatures conceivably couldimpact performance characteristics of the bed 300.

Any type of heating may be utilized with bed 300. FIGS. 10A-B, however,illustrate one exemplary technique for non-electrical heating of the bed300. Consistent with this technique, one or more pipes 70 with ventscould be installed in a foundation and communicate with a source 74 offorced hot air. As the forced hot air moves through the pipes, it heatsbed 300 from the foundation upward (as the hot air exiting the ventsrises). Accumulated snow and ice melted by the hot air may then traveldownward and exit the area of bed 300 by suitable sloping of thesurrounding terrain. If material 14 is not sealed, the hot air may exitbed 300 via fissures or gaps in the material 14. By contrast, ifmaterial 14 is sealed, an exit might need to be created for the hot air.

Rather than bagging, boxing, or otherwise containing material 14 inadvance of forming a bed, material 14 may be cast in place in someinstances. FIGS. 11A-B and 12-13 schematically illustrate somecasting-in-place methods, with slurries of material 14 being dumped orsprayed into a bed, for example. In any of these methods, material 14may be fixed into a monolithic structure, or formed into multiplelayers, or formed into multiple blocks, or otherwise formed, with orwithout fibers, fabric, or other materials or substances interspersedtherein.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, anddescribing embodiments of the present invention. Further modificationsand adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilledin the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe invention. Indeed, multiple revisions may be made to embodimentsidentified in this application consistent with the concepts ofstabilizing materials used as part of vehicle-arresting systems. Anyterms of direction and relative positioning (e.g. upper, lower, upward,etc.) are used to identify nominal or preferred, rather than absolute,relationships of components and may be modified as appropriate. Finally,the contents of the Allen Patent and the Narmo Application areincorporated herein in their entireties by this reference.

1. Energy-absorbing material comprising: a. aggregate structured todeform so as to absorb energy; and b. means for stabilizing location ofthe aggregate.
 2. Energy-absorbing material according to claim 1 inwhich the stabilizing means is selected from one or more of the groupconsisting of covers that are anchored, bags, boxes, support structures,adhesives, binders, and asphalt.
 3. Energy-absorbing material accordingto claim 2 in which the aggregate is selected from one of more of thegroup consisting of open-cell foam glass, closed-cell foam glass,ceramics, phosphate-bonded cellular composite, alkali-activated cellularfly ash, cellular geopolymers, and aerated autoclaved concrete. 4.Energy-absorbing material according to claim 3 in which the stabilizingmeans comprises a cover.
 5. Energy-absorbing material according to claim4 further comprising at least one anchor attached or adhered to thecover.
 6. Energy-absorbing material according to claim 5 in which theaggregate and the stabilizing means form a bed, with the anchorextending generally vertically through the bed.
 7. Energy-absorbingmaterial according to claim I in which the stabilizing means comprises abag or box or walls containing the aggregate.
 8. Energy-absorbingmaterial according to claim 7 in which the stabilizing means furthercomprises a cover to which the bag or box or walls is attached oradhered so as to anchor the cover.
 9. Energy-absorbing materialaccording to claim 1 in which the stabilizing means comprises aplurality of bags or boxes containing the aggregate. 10.Energy-absorbing material according to claim 1 in which the stabilizingmeans comprises a support structure at least partially bounding theaggregate.
 11. Energy-absorbing material according to claim 10 in whichthe aggregate is directly or indirectly attached or adhered to thesupport structure.
 12. Energy-absorbing material according to claim 10in which the support structure comprises a base and generally verticalwalls.
 13. Energy-absorbing material according to claim 1 in which thestabilizing means comprises an adhesive or binder with which theaggregate is mixed to form a unit.
 14. Energy-absorbing materialaccording to claim 13 in which the adhesive or binder is selected fromone of more of the group consisting of chemically bonded phosphateceramics, asphalt, and polymeric adhesives.
 15. Energy-absorbingmaterial according to claim 1 in which the stabilizing means comprisesasphalt.
 16. Energy-absorbing material according to claim 15 in whichthe aggregate is directly or indirectly attached or adhered by theasphalt to a ground surface.
 17. Energy-absorbing material according toclaim 1 configured to arrest movement of an aircraft. 18.Energy-absorbing material according to claim 1 further comprising meansfor heating the aggregate.
 19. Energy-absorbing material according toclaim 18 in which the heating means comprises forced hot air.
 20. Amethod of arresting movement of an aircraft, comprising: a. providingaggregate structured to deform so as to absorb energy and thereby effectaircraft arrest; and b. providing means for stabilizing location of theaggregate.